Flying-machine.



W. I. TWOMBLY. FLYiNG MAcHlNE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.22, 1913-.

1,277,345. R PatentedAug. 27,1918

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FLYING MACHINE.-

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WILLARD IRVING TWOMBLY, OF NEW YORK, N'. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO 1). STUART DODGE, OF WEATOG'UE, CONNECTICUT.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedAug. 27, 1918.

Application filed. April 22, 1913. Serial No. 762,906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, WILLARD IRVING TWOMBLY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flying machines, and it is the object of the invention to produce a flying machine having means inherent thereto to normally maintain lateral stability of the machine, and to automatically restore lateral stability when the lateral stability of the machine has been disturbed, and to provide means inherent to the machine to automatically increase the lift at one side of the machine and simultaneously decrease the lift at the opposite side of the machine.

In aeroplanes as heretofore constructed in order to maintain and restore lateral stability manually operable means are provided to increase the lift on the low side of the machine and simultaneously therewith decrease the lift at the high side of the machine. This reouires the constant and undivided attention of the aviator andis only effective when the machine tilts laterally within certain limits. Should the aeroplane be tilted laterally beyond a certain angle orsuflicient to cause side sli ing of the aeroplane these devices are inoperative with the disastrous result that the aeroplane dashes to the ground.

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a machine having means inherent to the construction thereof to overcome the above disadvantages, and which will automatically right itself, and should there be any side slippage any air pressures due to such side slippage will act on the machine to ft the low side and simultaneouslv act to depress the high side of the machine.

In carrying out my invention I provide the supporting surface or surfaces with laterally balancing means in the form of fixed planes one at each side of the longitudinal axis or medial fore and aft line of the structure, said planes inclining downwardly and inwardly from the lateral to the inner edges, this inclination being such that when the lateral stability of the machine is disturbed and there is any tendency of side sl pp ng the balanc g p ane on he lower side of the machine will be at such an angle that the air pressure will be against the under surface of such plane and-will lift said side of the machine, while the angle of the plane at the hi her side of the machine will be such relative to the plane at the lower side of the machine that the air pressure will be against the top surface of such plane and depress said higher side of the machine, until the machine is on a horizontal keel when the air pressures on the lateral planes will be substantially equal.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of an aeroplane having following supporting planes illustrating an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation taken on the line A/ of Fin. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a sectional front elevation taken on the line B-B of Fi 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of an aeroplane of the biplane type having following superposed supporting surfaces and illustrating my invention embodied therein.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of an aeroplane of the inonoplane type having a single support ing surface with my improvements applied thereto: and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view to illustrate the action of the air pressures on the stabilizing planes to restore lateral stability.

In Fins. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention in connection with an aeroplane of' the monoplane type having a pair of following supporting surfaces or planes 8, 9, preferably having a positive angle of incidence, said planes being ri idly supportedby a suitable fuselage (designated in a general way by F) supported at the forward end when on the ground upon a transverse resilient member 10 having wheels 11 at its ends. skids 12 being secured to saidtransbe connected by control wires let to the usual foot lever 15. The vertical or up and down movements of themachine are controlled by a horizontal rudder or elevator 16 connected by control wires 17 to a lever 18 adjacent the seat of the aviator. The machine is driven by a propeller 19, in the present instance shown as located; at-the front of the machine and actuated by a suitable motor 20.

WVhile'I have shown only one propeller to drive themachine it is to be understood that one or'more propellers may be utilized and located as found most desirable.

To maintain and restore lateral stability Iprovide a pair offixedand rigid lateral therewith the ends of said main supporting planes and the balancing planes sweeping into each other, as at 22, so that the'connecting portions of the planes will incline downwardly and inwardly from the outer lateral to the inneredges and will conform to theinclination or cur-vatureof the-main supporting planes. While the balancing planes are shown built into the main supporting planes to form an integral structure therewith and supported thereby, stay wires may be provided as an additional supporting means for said planes.

In Figs. 41 and 5 I have illustrated my invention embodied in an aeroplane of the biplane type having a pair of'superposed following supporting surfaces or planes 23, 23, and 2 1, 2 1, and spaced apart by struts or standards 25 and rigidly secured together by stay Wires 26. The lateral stabilizing planes 21 are located at the lateral ends of the supporting surfaces 23, 24 substantially midway between the upper and lower surfaces, although they may be located in any other position relative to the superposed sur faces as may be found desirable. The planes 21 have a fixed relation of inclination with respect'to the longitudinal axis of the machine the same as in the structure disclosed in Figsl, 2 and 3, and are'fi-xed at their lower longitudinal edges to the lateral supporting standards 25 and the upper edges supported by stay wires 26. The machine is driven by a suitable propeller or propellers actuated by a suitable motor. The direction of the machine is controlled by. the vertical rudder 1'3 and the up and down movements by the horizontal rudder or elevator 16. This structure is also provided with a suitable landing gear which may consist of wheels and skids as shown in- Figs. 2 and 3, or when utilized as a hydroplaneis provided with a suitable boat or pontoon.

The main supporting surfaces 8, 9 and 23, 24 are of an approved construction and of less length from fore to aft than the width, and the balancing planes 21 may be ofa length substantially equal to the combined width of the main supporting surface and of a width equal to the length fore and aft of one of said surfaces. The main supporting plane's as well as the balancing planes are preferably of the usual construction having intermediate ribs and an upper and lower surface. In Fig. 6 I have shown my invention embodied in an aeroplane of the monoplane type having a single supporting surface. In this construction the balancing planes 21 arepreferably made of a length greater than the length of the main plane from fore'to aft as illustrated,

The performance of an aeroplane constructed in accordance with the foregoing description is substantially as follows Assuming the aeroplane is being driven forward and a gust of wind strikes the plane at the left, in Fig. 7, causing said side of the machine to tilt up as shown and if tilted beyond a certain angle the machine will side slip. In this position of tilt, indicated by the arrows a, the air pressures will act against the under surface of the plane 21 on the low side of the machineexerting a lifting pressure, and simultaneous therew-ith,-pressure of the air will act on the upper surface of the plane 20 on the high side as indicated by the arrows 5, thus exerting downward pressure on said plane at the high side ofthe machine quickly adjusting the machine about its longitudinal axis. This adjustment of the machine on its longitudinal axis will take place quickly and as the machine again assumes a substantial horizontal position the air pressures which wereaeting against the upper surface'of the plane at the high side of the machine due to side slipping will actagainst the lower surface of said plane and counteract any tendency of the air pressures to abnormally tilt the machine to the opposite side. It will be understood that theefl'ective force of gravity can alsobe utilized by-the aviator to restore'lateral stability by permitting the machine to descend and ascend and thereby increasing the vertical air pressures against thelateral planes. Furthermore, as the machine passes through the airthe air currents entering at the connection of the lateral planes with the main supporting plane will sweep along the under surfaces ofthe lateral planes at all times exerting an upward pressureupon the under surfaces of said-planes and thereby at all times tend to maintain the machine uponan even horizontal keel. It will therefore be noted that the tilting of the machine is practically m'l as the air pressures which act on the machine to tilt it also act to restore equilibrium.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

1. In a flying machine comprising a main supporting surface having a positive angle of incidence, and lying transversely from side to side of said machine, a pair of rigid lateral balancing planes extending rearwardly from said main supporting surface and rigidly supported with respect to the machine at a point to the rear of said main surface, the longitudinal elements of which are substantially parallel with the axis of the machine and the outer lateral edges of which balancing planes are higher than the inner edges.

2. A flying machine comprising a supporting plane extending from side to side of said machine and having a positive angle of incidence, a pair of fixed lateral balancing planes forming a contiguous surface at a junction with the lateral ends of the supporting planes, extending rearwardly from the main supporting surface and rearwardly attached rigidly to the frame of said machine, and having an upwardly convex surface curving inwardly and downwardly and having parallel longitudinal elements substantially parallel with the axis of the machine.

3. A flying machine comprising a pair of following supporting planes having a positive angle of incidence, and extending equally on either side transversely of the axis of the machine, a pair of longitudinal lateral balancing planes to effect lateral sta bility of the machine, said balancing planes being curved laterally and extending longitudinally parallel to the axis of the machine andmerging at either end with the ends of the supporting planes.

4. In a flying machine two separate transversely disposed supporting planes separated by location respectively at the front and rear of the machine, a pair of lateral balancing planes having an outwardly-upwardly inclined angle of incidence one at each side of the machine and each attached to the extreme ends of the supporting planes at that side and having means associated therewith to resist vertical upward strain.

5. In a flying machine two separate transversely disposed supporting planes separated by location respectively at the front Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the we i g b and rear of the machine, a pair of lateral balancing planes laterally outward and upwardly inclined one at each side of the machine and each attached to the extreme ends of the supporting planes at that side and having means associated therewith to maintain the lateral planes against vertical strain in a fixed lateral position.

6. In a flying machine a pair of following supporting planes having a positive angle of incidence, and having greater lateral extent than longitudinal breadth of plane, a pair of lateral balancing planes one located at either side of the machine and extending straight fore and aft substantially parallel with the axis of the machine and secured at one end by merging into the adjacent end of one of the supporting planes and being curved transversely from the outer edge inwardly downwardly toward the inner edge of said lateral planes.

7. A flying machine comprising a pair of following supporting planes of greater transverse extent with respect to the machine than breadth longitudinally of the machine, a pair of lateral fixed balancing planes equi-dista nt on either side of the 7 axis of the machine and lying with their elements parallel to the axis and being connected integrally with adjacent ends of the supporting planes, for the purpose described.

8. In a flying machine a pair of following supporting planes separated by a distance greater than the fore and aft extent of either plane, inclined lateral planes extending symmetrically on either side parallel with the axis of the machine and at either end merging with the adjacent end of the transverse plane. I

9. In a flying machine a central main frame work extending longitudinally the full length of the machine, a shaft and propeller supported at the forward end thereof, means of alighting and original support below said main frame, two transverse supporting planes secured fixedly above the main frame, the one at the forward end and the other at the rear and lying with elements parallel and distanced greater than the width of either of said planes, lateral narrow planes lying with their length parallel to the main frame and merging respectively with the adjacent ends of the supporting planes. I

W. IRVING TWOMBLY. Witnesses:

P. PHILIPP,

LAURA E. SMITH.

Commissioner of Patents, 

